Railway signal



Feb. 10. 1925.

1,525,98 J. WALTON RAILWAY S IGNAL Filed Aug. 10, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 h C/TWAL W Feb. 10. 1925.

J. WALTON- RAILWAY SIGNAL Filed Aug. 10 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 MN 0% V Z W J. m. +|1 a QR m ET. a V E a w k w r A|+ W F N W H L w t! n Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

JOSEPH WALTON, OF LOCKWVOOD, MISSOURI.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Application filed August 10, 1920.

To all to 710m it may concern Be it known that I, JosnPH VVALroN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lockwood, in the county of Dads and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Railway Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway signaling devices, and more particularly to an automatic signal adapted to be employed more particularly on bridges or crossings to cause a signal to be made when washouts or fires occur, to warn the engineer of the approaching danger.

A further object of the invention is to provide means employed in conection with the usual track relay to cause the operation thereof, when the circuit to the relay becomes broken.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described.

and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing 1 illustrates a plan view of a track section equipped with a signaling device constructed in accordance with the present invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating in diagrammatic view more clearly the circuit layout.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference character 5 designates the rails of a track section, and the reference character 6 designates the rails of the adjacent section, which rails are in circuit with the battery 7 as by means of the wire 8, which is the positive wire of the circuit, the circuit including a wire 9 which has connection with the fusible wire 10 through the connection 11, the wire 10 being disposed in parallel relation with the rails associated therewith, the wire passing under the rail section and rearwardly as at 12, along the supporting ties of the track from where they pass to the negative side of the battery indicated at 13 and through the opposed rail.

A shunt wire indicated at 14 connects the rails of the adjacent track sections, so that Serial No. 402,589.

if the track is broken, the circuit will be shunted to cause the operation of the usual track relay indicated at 15, and which is in circuit with the rails as by means of the wires 16 and 17. The rail track sections are insulated from each other as by means of the insulating material '18. In the operation of the device, assuming that a train is passing over the rail sections, it is obvious that when the wheels of the train pass into a section which is in circuit with the relay, the circuit will be shunted through the wheels to cause the operation relay.

The electric current passes from the battery 7 through the wire 8 where the same connects with the rail section at the opposite side of the track, from where the cur-- rent is carried to the wire 9, through the rail section and through the wires 12 and to the rail 5 of the track section 5, the rail 5 being in circuit with the wire 17 which in turn is in circuit with the relay 15.

The negative circuit from the battery 7 embodies the wire 13 which connects with the rail 6 of the track section 6 and is carried to the rail 7 of the track section 5 through the wire 14:. The rail 7 is in circuit with the wire 16, which in turn is in circuit with the relay 15. It is therefore obvious that the positive rail of one section, has its ends insulated from the negative rail of the adjacent section. and that the negative rail of one section is insulated from the positive rail of the adjacent section.

It follows that if a section of the track is washed away, the circuit to the relay 15 will be broken to cause the operation thereof, which in turn operates a switch toa suitable signal not shown, and which is disposed at one side of the track in full view of the op erator of alocomotive.

It might be further stated however that the wires and 12 are formed preferably of lead or other fusible material, so that in case of fire, the circuit will be easily fused to cause the operation of the relay.

It might be further stated that the system operates to normally hold the relay energized, and retain the signal controlled by the relay, out of operation, so that should the insulation between adjacent rails become defective, the circuit to the relay will be shunted through the wire 20 to maintain the relay in operation to cause the same to display a signal should the circuit be shorted as by means of a trainpassing over the rails of a section.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In combination with a railway block system in which electric currents are carried through the track rails, said track extending across a supporting structure; means insulating the contiguous ends of rails of the track at a point near said supporting structure; and a signal wire'adapted to be broken by accident to the structure, which wire is looped across the supporting structure, and has its terminal ends secured to the contignous ends of the rails on the opposite sides of the insulated joint;

2. A railway block signal system according to claim 1, in combination with a shunt wire connected tothe track rails in position to operate the signal in the event of deiec tive insulation between'said contiguous ends of rails near said supporting structure.

3. A railway block signal in accordance with claim 1, in which the loop wire connects an approach rail on one side of the asmy own, I have hereto aflixed my signa ture in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH WALTON. Witnesses:

H: S. V AILE, J. F. WEST. 

